Fuse Cohort 8

New firm, New Fuse

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Fuse shapes the legal landscape through market collaboration

What is Fuse?

Fuse is the first of its kind – a community of early stage and mature technology companies, clients, legal experts; a unique space in which clients can learn about Digital Assets and LegalTech by reference to real-life businesses.

Ranked in Band 1

(Incubators and accelerators) Chambers and Partners Law Tech Guide 2023

"Fuse underlines A&O Shearman's strong commitment to act as a thought partner to our clients beyond the purely "legal". It is a center of expertise in which our clients can explore, learn about, and understand topics that are front of mind for them, by reference to real-life innovations. This year, those topics center around Digital Assets and LegalTech. Now as A&O Shearman, we enter an exciting chapter in the evolution of Fuse"

SHRUTI AJITSARIA

Partner & Head of Fuse

Play: Watch the Cohort 8 video trailer

Cohort 8 received more than 230 applications, our highest ever number

Cohort 8 at a glance

With the launch of our eighth cohort, Fuse provide our lawyers and clients a place to convene and develop innovative thinking around core themes of strategic importance. This year, we have focused on creating a Digital Assets stream and, via a process of client recommendations, have curated an international cohort of start-ups and scale-ups. We have also maintained our LegalTech stream, having received more than 230 applications from across 28 countries. Finally, we welcome back three companies as the Alumni stream.

This year’s selection committee brings a diversity of perspectives

Selection Process: LegalTech

The breadth of experience and expertise of our selection committee is vital for bringing together a cohort which addresses lawyer pain points, identifying issues ripe for digital transformation. Thank you to all of our selection committee members, including David Griffin, BT Group; Russell Johnstone, BT Group; Oli Harris, Goldman Sachs; Christine Poli, Google Cloud; Hannah Seal, Index Ventures and Emmanuelle Brissaud, Meta, whose insights are invaluable in helping us to shortlist companies for Cohort 8.

"Being part of the selection committee is a great opportunity to follow a company’s journey from its very inception – having insight into its state of affairs before things really take off. One of the things I love most about Fuse is that you get to see ventures at different stages and processes – all the way from budding startups in ideation phase to established businesses with an international presence and 100 plus employees."

Russell Johnstone

BT Group

"We’ve seen some great looking technologies, which are again, as I always find with the Fuse cohorts, looking to solve real-life problems for the legal industry. The companies I’ve seen have been really thinking about solving problems in an innovative way with new techniques and technologies that I’m sure will be helpful to lawyers and legal practice across the globe."

David Griffin

BT Group

"As a member of the selection committee, I believe that Fuse remains the place for those aiming to scale within LegalTech, RegTech, and FinTech. I eagerly anticipate further collaboration with Fuse and A&O Shearman"

Oli Harris

Goldman Sachs

Click on the photo to hear from the committee member

Digital Assets

Ava Labs BlockchainyourIP ClearToken Digital Asset Holdings Funds DLT HQLAX KUMO Oasis Pro Markets Swiat Zodia Markets

Digital Assets

Learn more

Hence Jigsaw Jure Juristic Testudo TGA

Learn more

LegalTech

Avvoka Enigio Hunit

Learn more

Alumni

This year's client-nominated stream focuses on Digital Assets, allowing A&O Shearman to be the epicentre of learning for our lawyers and clients.

Selection Process: Digital Assets

Click on the photo to hear from the committee member

Thank you to our clients who have nominated companies. Together, we have chosen a talented group of Digital Asset related companies to join Fuse Cohort 8.

"It was a pleasure to again join the Fuse Selection Committee for Cohort 8 and support Fuse’s continued commitment to fostering a community of entrepreneurs looking to bring innovative solutions to market at the intersection of legal, financial services, and emerging technology.”

Oli Harris

Goldman Sachs

"The Fuse incubator continues to offer a unique opportunity for innovative companies to collaborate at the nexus of technology, law and the financial services industry. We are delighted to continue our support for the program with our nominations for Cohort 8.”

Andrew Murray

Citi

Play: Watch the video trailer to hear from the companies

Click to learn more about the companies resident in Fuse

Ava Labs streamlines the launch of high-performance Web3 applications on the Avalanche blockchain, a scalable, smart contract platform with customizable Subnet infrastructure for business-specific blockchain solutions. Location: New York, USA

"In an incredibly fast-changing vertical, the opportunity to join Fuse allows us to tap into a global network of professionals and industry leaders. We are thrilled to be selected in the next cohort and offer our insights to help expand growth and use cases for blockchain technology.”

Emin Gün Sirer Co-Founder & CEO

Client nominated: digital assets

LegalTech

Click to learn more about the companies resident in Fuse

Play: Watch the video trailer to hear from the companies

Alumni

Click to learn more about the companies resident in Fuse

"ABN AMRO is very excited to have one of its accelerator alumni join the Fuse cohort. The legal side of FinTech innovation is a crucial nut to crack and I am impressed by how Fuse continues to help promising tech companies succeed.”

Laurens Hammerlinck

ABN AMRO

These companies have a laser focus on issues we know are faced by our lawyers and clients.

We are delighted to invite back some companies to increase tech adoption and ensure our lawyers enjoy all benefits of LegalTech.

Meet the Fuse cohort and learn more about their technologies

Ava Labs

BlockchainyourIP

Digital Asset Holdings

ClearToken

Oasis Pro

KUMO

HQLAX

Testudo

Juristic

Jigsaw

Hence Technologies

Hunit

Enigio

Avvoka

Emin Gün Sirer

Founder and CEO

New to Fuse

"Fuse will enable us to work with the most technology-forward major law firm in the world. Together, we will solve how to integrate global, economic, and geopolitical conditions into the legal work and advice of A&O Shearman for its clients. This opportunity is hugely exciting for us because law firms and their clients will be able to thrive better in a topsy-turvy world."

Sean West

Co-Founder

Hence Technologies builds software which automates, optimizes, and innovates complex legal workflows and use cases, ranging from outside counsel management to litigation management to geopolitical risk management. London: UK / Rwanda / Netherlands

Stephen Heitkamp Co-Founder

Sean West Co-Founder

Client nominated: digital assets

"Participating in Fuse Cohort 8 is an opportunity to benefit from the expertise of A&O Shearman’s lawyers to help our product evolve in the right direction and help companies value their intangible assets."

William Fauchoux

CEO

BlockchainyourIP simplifies and automates the protection of creations and innovations, using blockchain technology which provides a systematic dating layer to enhance the protection of intellectual property portfolios. Location: Paris, France

William Fauchoux CEO and Co-Founder of BlockchainyourIP

Client nominated: digital assets

"ClearToken is at the forefront of efforts to strengthen digital asset markets, by building regulated post-trade financial market infrastructure to bring effective risk management, trust, and legal certainty to digital asset trading. We believe that the provision of legally recognised clearing and settlement services to institutional investors who currently face considerable risk in an unregulated landscape will accelerate the maturing and growth of digital asset markets. We are very excited about the opportunity that Fuse presents to leverage A&O Shearman’s collective knowledge and skills in delivering on our mission."

Benjamin Santos-Stephens

CEO

ClearToken is building a Central Counterparty to centralize clearing, collateral, and risk management processes to reduce bilateral counterparty risk in settlement, financing, and derivative transactions, maintaining 24/7 operations to manage risk in real-time via margin and default fund contributions. Location: London, UK

Benjamin Santos-Stephens CEO

Vincent Alfaro CTO and Co-Founder of BlockchainyourIP

Eric Dorre COO

Client nominated: digital assets

"We’re excited to join Fuse, where our commitment to advancing digital transformation aligns perfectly with Fuse's mission to fuel innovation in the legal sector. Our core mission is to power connections across capital markets with the leading regulatory-grade, interoperable software fit for institutional assets. Our customers deliver regulatory-grade digital assets and solutions that eliminate reconciliation, reduce settlement risk, and enable real-time, 24x7 capital markets. We are committed to setting new benchmarks for digital assets, operating in concert with evolving legal and regulatory norms."

Yuval Rooz

Co-Founder & CEO

Founded in 2014, Digital Asset is the leading provider of blockchain and tokenization software and services for the world’s largest financial institutions, market infrastructure, and tech providers. Our blockchain platform, Daml, is used to build applications that synchronise data and transactions across organizational boundaries to eliminate reconciliation and enable risk-free settlement. Only Daml applications seamlessly interoperate via the Canton Network to unlock the potential for synchronized financial markets. Location: London, UK / Zurich, Switzerland / New York, USA / Budapest, Hungary / Sydney, Australia / Hong Kong

Yuval Rooz Co-Founder & CEO

Eric Saraniecki Co-Founder & Head of Product

Client nominated: digital assets

"Following its acquisition by Deutsche Börse during Series B, FundsDLT enters a new phase of its development and growth. It can now accelerate and support a growing number of clients, whether Distributors or Asset Managers in their digital transformation. We aim to simplify fund distribution, fostering financial inclusion and savings."

Olivier Portenseigne

Co-Founder & CEO

FundsDLT streamlines a range of fund distribution activities, using blockchain, APIs and Cloud technology to automate and mutualize processes. Location: Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Olivier Portenseigne Co-Founder & CEO

Paolo Brignardello Co-Founder & CCO

Client nominated: digital assets

"We look forward to meeting clients of A&O Shearman who are interested in using this game-changing technology, as well as networking with A&O Shearman and other companies in Fuse."

Olly Benkert

Co-Founder & Chairman

HQLAX leverages Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to enhance efficiencies in the securities finance and repo industry by enabling market participants to execute frictionless, precise, and real-time transfer of ownership of securities. HQLAx integrates DLT with current triparty and custody systems, enhancing clients' collateral mobility and reducing expensive intraday liquidity needs. Location: Luxembourg, Luxembourg / London, UK

Olly Benkert Co-Founder & Chairman

Client nominated: digital assets

"The Fuse program provides the ideal platform for pioneering carbon banking at the intersection of climate finance and tokenization technology. It enables us and our institutional finance partners to innovate with a client-centric approach and establish thought leadership in carbon banking."

Robin Klemens

Co-Founder & CEO

KUMO provides carbon banking solutions which leverage blockchain and tokenization to derisk lending in the carbon market through carbon credit collateralization. KUMO’s technology enables the collateralization of carbon credits in TradFi and DeFi to secure lending products in the carbon market, such as tokenized green bonds and RWA carbon-secured loans. Location: Mainz, Germany

Robin Klemens Co-Founder & CEO

Dr Johannes Pulsfort Co-Founder & CGO

New to Fuse

"We are excited by the opportunity to partner with A&O Shearman through Fuse, to leverage the high-powered lawyer base and help cement our place as market leader within the legal diagramming space. This opportunity allows us to continue to evolve our roadmap in line with the needs of one of the world’s most prestigious firms."

Travis Leon

Co-Founder

Jigsaw facilitates the creation of attractive, data-rich diagrams for various purposes, including corporate, funds, tax, and trust matters, in a fraction of the time that it currently takes using other tools. Location: London, UK / Miami, USA

Stephen Scanlan Co-Founder

Travis Leon Co-Founder

New to Fuse

"Working with Fuse means unparalleled access to the remarkable litigation team at A&O Shearman. The litigators at A&O Shearman have been a source of insight and inspiration as we’ve developed our initial software, and we’re thrilled to be working together."

Layla Stahr

CEO

Jure is a judicial analytics platform which combines quantitative analysis with qualitative insights for litigation strategy development. Location: California, USA

Lucas Hofer CTO & Co-Founder

Layla Stahr CEO & Co-Founder

New to Fuse

"Fuse propels our journey to success by accelerating our growth through the seamless fusion of legal excellence and technological innovation. They have years of knowledge in building and supporting legal tech which is extremely valuable for us as we combine our domain expertise with an incredible foundation."

Christian HjortshØj

Co-Founder

Juristic provides a digital toolkit which streamlines legal workflows, automates timelines, assists with project management, and transforms data into tangible client deliverables. Location: London, UK

Christian Hjortshøj Co-Founder

Fuse Alumni

"Fuse remains the premier sandbox for LegalTech, globally. The feedback we receive from A&O Shearman lawyers immeasurably advances our software."

Eliot Benzecrit

Co-Founder

Avvoka helps lawyers draft, negotiate and execute any legal document, leveraging structured contract data to create better commercial outcomes by monitoring negotiation patterns and clause variations. The AI-assisted no-code automation editor empowers users to generate accurate documents at any scale. Location: London, UK

Eliot Benzecrit Co-Founder

Fuse Alumni

"Enigio’s software solution creates digital original documents that can be updated, verified, freely transferred, and cancelled by the holder of the document. With our technology, and A&O Shearman’s expertise and network, we see the opportunity with Fuse as a catalyst in accelerating market adoption and entering new verticals that are ripe for end-to-end digitalization."

Göran Almgren

Co-Founder

Enigio helps companies to create freely transferable digital documents and assets. Enigio’s trace:original is a generic solution that can be used to securely transfer both value and data between any entity and/or organisation without the need for onboarding. Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Patrik Zekkar CEO

Göran Almgren Co-Founder & Head of New Markets

"Today’s business world is increasingly defined by high volumes of data and intelligent business automation. Our participation in A&O Fuse means that Hunit is working with the partners and clients at the leading edge of this business transformation, helping hone our technology and approach. A&O Fuse is a path through the wilderness that stands between innovation and lasting success."

Aaron Powers

CEO & Co-Founder

Hunit puts business automation into legal agreements, turning them into tools that streamline operations and improve compliance. Location: London, UK

Jan Berger Co-Founder & CCO

Aaron Powers Co-Founder & CEO

A&O Shearman unveils nineteen technology companies joining Fuse Cohort 8

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Alumni

LegalTech

Digital Assets

Selection Process: LegalTech

Selection Process: Digital Assets

Cohort 8 at a glance

What is Fuse?

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Alumni

LegalTech

Digital assets

Selection Process: LegalTech

Selection Process: Digital Assets

Cohort 8 at a glance

What is Fuse?

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Alumni

LegalTech

Digital assets

Selection Process: LegalTech

Selection Process: Digital Assets

Cohort 8 at a glance

What is Fuse?

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Alumni

LegalTech

Digital assets

Selection Process: LegalTech

Selection Process: Digital Assets

Cohort 8 at a glance

What is Fuse?

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Alumni

LegalTech

Digital assets

Selection Process: LegalTech

Selection Process: Digital Assets

Cohort 8 at a glance

What is Fuse?

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Alumni

LegalTech

Digital assets

Selection Process: LegalTech

Selection Process: Digital Assets

Cohort 8 at a glance

What is Fuse?

Talk to us

Alumni

LegalTech

Digital assets

Selection Process: LegalTech

Selection Process: Digital Assets

Cohort 8 at a glance

What is Fuse?

Talk to us

Alumni

LegalTech

Digital assets

Selection Process: LegalTech

Selection Process: Digital Assets

Cohort 8 at a glance

What is Fuse?

"We are excited to take part in the nomination process of such a high-caliber program as Fuse. At DB1 Ventures, Deutsche Börse’s Corporate Venture Capital arm, it is our passion to foster financial technology innovation for Deutsche Börse Group’s clients. Hence we are thrilled to have found a like-minded partner in Shruti and the entire Fuse team.”

Monika Fuchs

Deutsche Börse

"We are pleased to have participated in the nomination process for Fuse Cohort 8, working with industry partners in supporting innovative companies. Staying at the forefront of innovation is integral to our culture at J.P. Morgan as we seek the best way to serve our clients.”

Michael Noonan

JP Morgan

“We're thrilled to witness the nomination of one of our portfolio companies for Fuse. The selection process for Cohort 8 underscored essential principles, not just in recognizing disruptive ideas in financial services, but also in assessing their effectiveness in collaborative efforts within the ecosystem to drive meaningful change.”

Jez Mohideen

Laser Digital

Together with our clients, we have chosen a dynamic group of companies covering various aspects of the digital assets ecosystem to join Fuse Cohort 8.

Talk to us

Alumni

LegalTech

Digital assets

Selection Process: LegalTech

Selection Process: Digital Assets

Cohort 8 at a glance

What is Fuse?

Get in touch

Fuse Alumni

James Ding Co-Founder

CALUM ROBERTS Associate +44 20 3088 3404 calum.roberts@aoshearman.com linkedin.com/in/calum-roberts

SHRUTI AJITSARIA Partner & Head of Fuse +44 20 3088 1831 shruti.ajitsaria@aoshearman.com linkedin.com/in/shruti-ajitsaria

"The companies have all been incredibly impressive. They all solve different problems and come at it at different angles. What’s stood out the most is the ambition level of some of the founders, and how visionary they are in seeking to solve challenging problems in an interesting manner."

Hannah Seal

Index Ventures

"I am very impressed with A&O Shearman and Fuse with the platform it provides for startups. I have to say it's very impressive how the partners are engaged and how much the startups are really looking forward to joining the Fuse Program."

Christine Poli

Google Cloud

"Being part of the selection committee really helps my own thinking as we try to find the next new tool for legal to adopt. As such, it’s interesting to see what is at the cutting edge of the market. For some companies I know the areas they are tackling but this year I’ve seen many that are tackling new challenges. This makes me think about what may be the next big product out there."

Emmanuelle Brissaud

Meta

Oli Harris

Goldman Sachs

Russell Johnstone

BT Group

David Griffin

BT Group

“Innovation is in our DNA at SC Ventures, and I am delighted to nominate two of our portfolio companies leading the way in digital asset innovation. I look forward to supporting the collaboration with Fuse in Cohort 8 and the insights of the broader community”

Stuart McConnell

SC Ventures

"We are delighted to be collaborating with Fuse. This gives us the exposure to new models, tools, and concepts in a safe and professional space. We are very proud to have a company accepted into the program and wish BlockchainyourIP every success in this very exciting adventure.”

Sheila Henderson

Richemont

Jez Mohideen

Laser Digital

Michael Noonan

JP Morgan

Oli Harris

Goldman Sachs

"We are excited to take part in the nomination process of such a high-caliber program as Fuse Cohort 8. At DB1 Ventures, Deutsche Börse’s Corporate Venture Capital arm, it is our passion to foster financial technology innovation for Deutsche Börse Group’s clients. Hence we are thrilled to have found a like-minded partner in Shruti and the entire Fuse team.”

Monika Fuchs

Deutsche Börse

Andrew Murray

Citi

Laurens Hammerlinck

ABN AMRO

Funds DLT

Zodia Markets

SWIAT

Client nominated: digital assets

"We are honoured to be selected for Fuse for its eighth cohort. It signifies a pivotal moment in our journey. With digital assets poised to reshape financial markets, this collaboration couldn’t come at a more opportune time. I look forward to leveraging our expertise to deliver value to clients enabling them to unlock the full potential of the digital asset future."

Nick Philpott

Co-Founder & Head of Partnerships

Zodia Markets is a digital asset brokerage platform which aligns with the standards and principles of traditional finance and is a majority-owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank. Location: London, UK

Nick Philpott Co-Founder & Head of Partnerships

Usman Ahmad Co-Founder & CEO

Client nominated: digital assets

"This is a great opportunity to create new connections that will allow us to improve our offerings and tailor them to the existing use cases in the global market. We offer our services worldwide and we are looking forward to fostering the adoption of the SWIAT platform internationally."

Dr Timo Reinschmidt

CCO & Co-CEO

SWIAT provides regulatory-compliant blockchain software for an open decentralized financial market infrastructure and running an SCO60-compliant blockchain for third-party use case deployment. Location: Frankfurt, Germany

Dr Timo Reinschmidt CCO & Co-CEO

Client nominated: digital assets

"Oasis Pro provides our expertise and guidance to companies looking to fully harness the capabilities of blockchain technology. Being a member of the Fuse 8 digital asset cohort represents an opportunity to expand our solution allowing for innovation and evolution throughout industries globally."

Pat LaVecchia

CEO & Founder

Oasis Pro provides a holistic multi-asset trading platform solution for public and private tokenized securities using digital or fiat currency. Oasis Pro’s subsidiary, Oasis Pro Markets, operates a multi-asset alternative trading system and a full-service investment bank. Location: New York, USA

Pat LaVecchia CEO & Founder

Kevin Sekniqi Co-Founder

Nicola Beattie Chair

Sam Tyfield GC

Niki Beattie Chain

Shaul Kfir Co-Founder & COO

Guido Stroemer Co-Founder & CEO

Pragya Mohan Product Owner

Jonathan Leβmann CMO

Robin Klemens

Co-Founder & CEO

Robin Klemens Co-Founder & CEO

Dr Johannes Pulsfort Co-Founder & CGO

"We look forward to meeting clients of A&O Shearman who are interested in using this game-changing technology, as well as networking with A&O Shearman and other companies in Fuse."

Olly Benkert

Co-Founder & Chairman

Olly Benkert Co-Founder & Chairman

Olivier Portenseigne

Co-Founder & CEO

FundsDLT streamlines a range of fund distribution activities, using blockchain, APIs and Cloud technology to automate and mutualize processes. Location: Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Olivier Portenseigne Co-Founder & CEO

Paolo Brignardello Co-Founder & CCO

Yuval Rooz

Co-Founder & CEO

Yuval Rooz Co-Founder & CEO

Eric Saraniecki Co-Founder & Head of Product

Benjamin Santos-Stephens

CEO

Benjamin Santos-Stephens CEO

Eric Dorre COO

William Fauchoux

CEO

Vincent Alfaro CTO and Co-Founder

William Fauchoux CEO and Co-Founder

Emin Gün Sirer

Founder and CEO

Emin Gün Sirer Co-Founder & CEO

Client nominated: digital assets

Oasis Pro

KUMO

HQLAX

Digital Asset Holdings

ClearToken

BlockchainyourIP

Ava Labs

TGA

Jure

TGA

Jure

New to Fuse

"The Fuse program not only enhances our legal and technological capabilities but also opens doors to unprecedented innovation and strategic partnerships. Together, we are poised to shape the future of our industry, leveraging cutting-edge solutions, and fostering a culture of excellence. This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation, and we are confident that it will propel us towards new heights of success and achievements."

Tomas Giovanetti

CEO & Founder

TGA Entertainment develops corporate gaming solutions to captivate the attention of, facilitate communication with, and educate participants, measuring players in relation to specific corporate objectives. Location: Miami, USA

Tomas Giovanetti CEO & Founder

New to Fuse

"Working with A&O Shearman in Fuse to define and create this new category of AI insurance will help enterprises adopt AI technology across every industry. Bringing A&O Shearman’s expertise in litigation, regulation, technology, IP, and insurance will be hugely impactful to the legitimacy of Testudo’s products and creation of this new market, and will position A&O Shearman as a market leader in AI liability."

George Lewin-Smith

CEO & Co-Founder

Testudo is creating new AI insurance markets to enable institutions to adopt AI technology safely and responsibly. Location: London, United Kingdom

Mark Titmarsh Co-Founder

George Lewin-Smith Co-Founder

Arun Shanmuganathan Co-Founder

Kean Nobolle Ottesen Co-Founder

Mats Stengård CTO

Arun Shanmuganathan Co-Founder

Kean Nobolle Ottesen Co-Founder

New to Fuse

Tomas Giovanetti

CEO & Founder

Tomas Giovanetti CEO & Founder

New to Fuse

George Lewin-Smith

Co-Founder

Testudo is creating new AI insurance markets to enable institutions to adopt AI technology safely and responsibly. Location: London, United Kingdom

Mark Titmarsh Co-Founder

George Lewin-Smith Co-Founder

Mats Stengård CTO

Wanted: Disruptive thinkers

Get in touch to learn more about our latest cohort and see how you can be involved.

David Howorth Co-Founder

Talk to us

Wanted: Disruptive thinkers

BRENNA SPEISER Fuse Senior Manager

+44 20 3088 3099 brenna.speiser@aoshearman.com linkedin.com/in/brenna-speiser

SHRUTI AJITSARIA Partner & Head of Fuse

+44 20 3088 1831 shruti.ajitsaria@aoshearman.com linkedin.com/in/shruti-ajitsaria

Get in touch to learn more about our latest cohort and see how you can be involved.

Get in touch